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Alexandria Health Department Recognizes World Rabies Day With “Fun Day Event”Awareness Event Features Games, Giveaways, and Leroy, “The Greatest American Dog”

The Alexandria Health Department will be hosting a “Fun Day Event” in the City of Alexandria to promote its campaign on rabies prevention and control. The event will take place on Sunday, September 28, in recognition of World Rabies Day. It will be held in conjunction with the West End Farmers Market, 4800 Brenman Park Drive, from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. A rabies vaccination clinic is scheduled later that day, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., at the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria, 4101 Eisenhower Avenue.

At the event, doctors and staff from local animal hospitals and other businesses will be providing rabies information to the public, including displays which address bite prevention, what to do if you are bitten by an animal, and more topics on rabies and other zoonotic diseases. The Greatest American Dog, Leroy, and his owner Teresa, will also make a special appearance to raise awareness about rabies. There will also be many on-site activities for children, including a moon bounce, games and great giveaways.

The World Rabies Day initiative is a global rabies awareness campaign to spread the word about rabies prevention. In 2007, more than 7,000 cases of animal rabies were reported in the United States. This year, to date, five animals in the City have tested positive for the rabies virus, compared to 444 in the state of Virginia. The United States typically reports one to three human deaths per year; worldwide, 55,000 human deaths are reported per year.

The City of Alexandria Fun Day is one among many events that will be taking place on this day, all over the world. For more information about this event, contact Holly Feltner at 571.220.7077. Additional information about World Rabies Day and other awareness events are available at www.worldrabiesday.org.